Agostinetto leads 200 in annual half marathon

Andy Hutchison

Updated 4:34 pm, Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Norwalk's Carlo Agostinetto won the Norwalk Lightfoot Runners series ending Sam Elpern Memorial Half Marathon on Saturday. Agostinetto, 33, completed the race, which started and finished at Fox Run School, in a time of 1:21:06.
Photo: Andy Hutchison/For The Norwalk C

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Norwalk's Carlo Agostinetto ran along with New York City-based Warren Street running club teammate Larry Ikard for most of last Saturday's Lightfoot Running Club's Annual Sam Elpern Memorial Half Marathon. He pulled away with about five miles to go, en route to leading a field of 200 competitors across the finish line at Fox Run School.

Agostinetto, 33, finished the 13.1 mile race in a time of 1:21:06, and New Canaan's Ikard, 39, was runner-up in 1:22:50. The race, which concluded a season series of races, which increased in distance from event to event, is held in honor of the founder of the running club.

"It was a good effort. It was a nice course -- not too easy," Agostinetto said.

Agostinetto certainly made it look easy. For Agostinetto, this race was a step toward competing in a 100K race, the Ultra Race of Champions, in Colorado on Sept. 28.

"I had a little bit of a challenging week. I didn't even know if I wanted to run today," said Agostinetto, not going into any detail about his tough week, but noting that he got some inspiration the day before.

Then there was the on-course motivation. He and Ikard ran together for much of the race.

"It's always nice to have somebody close by," Agostinetto said. "It's nice to have a familiar face around and talk during the race. The time goes by more quickly."

Finishing first doesn't hurt in making the time go faster either.

"My teammate Carlo kept me going and then he disappeared at mile eight," said Ikard, who noted that the cool temperatures helped make strong performances for the runners. They were treated to temperatures in the middle 50s and low 60s.

"I think it definitely helps a lot. It makes a huge difference," said Stamford's Christina DeBacco.

"The weather was beautiful," said third-place finisher, Michael Hinrichsen, 23, of New Haven. He added that it wasn't so easy to keep up the pace throughout the grueling competition.

"The first half definitely went faster than the second half," Hinrichsen said.

The top female was seventh-place overall runner Lisa Martin, 30, of Wayne, Penn. She and her sister, Michelle Martin of Denver, were visiting friends in the area and decided to participate in the race as part of their vacation. Lisa Martin was seventh in 1:30:20 and her sister came in 11th in a time of 1:32:24.

Hinrichsen was followed by fourth through tenth place finishers: Jens Dobrint, 31, of Munich, Germany in 1:26:29, Leo Biala, 36, of Stamford in 1:26:44, Vincent Zito, 41, of Fairfield, in 1:29:41, Lisa Martin, Milly Wade-West, 23, of Shelton in 1:30:41, Roger D'Agostin, 43, of Norwalk in 1:31:58, and Meredith Kalish, 37, of Greenwich, in 1:32:13. Amanda Parrish, 31, was Norwalk's fastest female and came in 12th overall with a time of 1:33:23.

Wade-West is a running and strength coach at Westport-based Team Sherpa, and is training for an iron man competition in Florida this fall. Wade-West said she enjoys the motivation provided in the race setting, noting that it pushes her.